Argentine authorities seize shipment of Nazi objects

share it

Argentine authorities study Nazi-era objects that were seized during a raid in June last year. | Natacha Pisarenko/Associated Press

Argentine customs officials have seized a shipment of objects with Nazi insignia that had been sent from the United States, the Security Ministry said Wednesday, confirming that they had located in the northern province of Salta the person who was set to the receive the shipment.

“Another shipment with Nazi insignia trying to enter our country. Along with Customs, we carried out a controlled delivery and seized swords, tools and helmets linked to a dark and tragic time for humanity”, Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said via Twitter, posting photos of some of the objects.

Customs officials analysed several packets which they had identified as suspect, the Security Ministry said later in a statement.

“There is no place in Argentina for this type of expression which is linked to a tragic time in the history of humanity”, Bullrich added.

The packages contained four helmets from World War II, an imperial eagle statue carrying a Swastika, a 40-centremetre long sword which also carries a Swastika, an old coin, three posters with references to the Third Reich, a 22 calibre semiautomatic weapon and a replica machine gun.

The discovery comes after authorities in June seized the largest ever collection of Nazi-era objects in Argentina, which included a bust of Adolf Hitler.

Hundreds of Nazis fled to Argentina following the collapse of Hitler’s regime and expressions of neo-Nazism are not uncommon here.